Madman: Strange Adventures of a Psychology Intern

by John R. Suler

Based on real life experiences and written by an internationally recognized expert in emerging fields of psychology, this unique novel immerses the reader into the world of a psychology intern working on the psychiatric unit of a modern teaching hospital. With irreverent humor, a surreal imagination, and elements of eastern philosophy, this coming-of-age story captures the point of view of a young clinical psychologist, Thomas Holden. A keen observer with a comic eye, Holden's ongoing internal musings, along with his experiences with patients and staff, expose both the absurdity and idealism inherent in psychotherapeutic practice. Ultimately overwhelmed by exhaustion and bewildered by the paradoxical behaviors of his newest patient - a "John Doe" with no memory or identity - Holden wonders whether he too is losing his grip on reality. Thomas Holden, a psychology intern working in a psychiatric hospital, is in trouble. The depressed patient he discharged yesterday was run over by a mail truck. Was it suicide? Is he responsible for her death? His new patient Richard Mobin is a violent paranoid schizophrenic who drowns baby birds and thinks men in raincoats are plotting to kill him. If that isn't enough, Holden is assigned yet another difficult patient - a "John Doe" who apparently has no memory or identity, a man whom police found wandering the highway, collecting and burying road kill. But is this John Doe truly crazy, or is there something he's hiding? Is he working some scheme against Holden? "Madman is a genuine tour de force, maintaining an emotionally powerful grip on the reader while presenting an intellectually sound introduction to the world of clinical psychology. In the context of an action-packed suspenseful novel, Professor Suler presents the fundamental theoretical and historical foundations of clinical psychology side by side with the real-world practical problems that challenge the wisdom of the theories. This is a good read for all mental health professionals and anyone who is contemplating becoming one. I couldn't put it down until it ended, and I had a hard time letting go when it did." -- Edward S. Katkin, Leading Professor Emeritus of Psychology and Psychiatry, Stony Brook University College Student "It pulled me in from beginning to end...hilarious!" "One of the best novels I have read in college and a work of literature." "I liked every aspect of the book, it kept me wanting to read more. I never wanted to put it down." "I loved the character Thomas Holden. He's amazing. I would be reading along and then all of a sudden he would say something so outrageous or funny that I would have to highlight the sentence or reread it." "This book really inspired me to continue my career in psychology." "From the beginning it draws you in and makes you feel like you're really there." "Realistic and authentic. It takes the reader through three continuous days on the unit and the thoughts running through the psychologist's mind." About the John Suler PhD, Professor of Psychology at Rider University, is internationally recognized as a founder of the fields of Cyberpsychology and Photographic Psychology. His groundbreaking work "The Psychology of Cyberspace" is one of the first and most widely cited online hypertext books. An expert in emerging fields of psychology, he has also published widely on the integration of eastern philosophy and psychoanalysis. His collected works on that subject can be found in the book "Contemporary Psychoanalysis and Eastern Thought" (State University of New York Press), a tour de force showcasing Suler's talent for dazzling integrative thinking combined with an experience-near writing style. The novel MADMAN follows from this work, combining the imagination of Vonnegut, the coming-of-age storytelling of JD Salinger, and the penchant for sidebar essays reminiscent of Robert Pirsig.

Genres: Psychology

346 pages, Paperback

First published January 1, 1995

Reviews

[Jessica Bensinger]

Although I had to read this book for class, it was definitely interesting. This book held a lot of information on both psychotherapy and also abnormal psychology and it was interesting to read from the therapist's point of view. I would highly recommend this book to anyone who is interested in psychology in general and also people interested in knowing what it feels like to be in a psychiatric unit in a hospital.

[Mary · Rating 3 out of 5]

This was an odd book. It defies genre, but reads as part memoir, part journal, part dream diary, part lecture in Psych 101. It has elements of fantasy and hard science. There is very little plot. It needed at least another couple rounds of editing. It is immature much of the time.

But it’s also a very easy, interesting read. If you like big philosophical, psychological questions and ponder the meaning of normal or sane, you should find this interesting. Just don’t expect it to resolve like a normal novel, or you will be disappointed.

[Brick · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book started slowly for me, but it built to a very nice (but stuffed up) head of steam. I found myself getting exasperated at the amount of time Doctor Tom Holden, the psychology intern, spends worrying about the impression he is making on his peers and his supervisors, but as I accepted the truth of this story about an intern, and his internship, it seemed revelatory. I particularly enjoyed the patient Doe's Zen stories, so well integrated into Tom's growth as to deepen my understanding of both Tom and the Zen stories.

I wonder if you would be surprised to find how very much you would enjoy visiting John Suler's website "Zen stories to tell your neighbors" at http://truecenterpublishing.com/zenst... ??

[Mokshasi · Rating 5 out of 5]

I really liked this book. It reminded me of my time as a psychology intern in Mexico. The book made me laugh and reflect about madness, sanity and the mind.

[Alison · Rating 3 out of 5]

I enjoyed the story. I think it gave a pretty good insight to an interns life. I thought the ending was going to be different but I still liked it overall

[Kristi King-Morgan · Rating 2 out of 5]

This was more about the intern's personal issues than anything else. Slow read, bogged down in too many tangents.